Rarotongan
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Rarotongan is a reef dive site located at the south-west point off the Rarotongan Resort, Cook Islands, where currents converge from two sides of the island. The site runs from around 15–18 m down to a maximum of 26–30 m, dropping away at a pronounced drop-off that gives divers a strong sense of depth and exposure.
The convergence of currents from both sides of the island means conditions are variable and can be strong, making this a site suited to experienced Advanced Open Water divers and above. The current-driven environment is what draws the larger animals, and the diving can range from calm to demanding depending on conditions on the day.
The site's main draw is the chance to encounter larger pelagic species actively hunting, including schools of pelagic fish, sharks, and the occasional oceanic whitetip shark.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Sunset WrasseThalassoma lutescensReported here · unconfirmed
Threespot WrasseHalichoeres trimaculatusReported here · unconfirmed
Greenfish Sea CucumberStichopus chloronotusReported here · unconfirmed
Lagoon TriggerfishRhinecanthus aculeatusReported here · unconfirmed
Threadfin ButterflyfishChaetodon aurigaReported here · unconfirmed
Indo-Pacific Rock-boring UrchinEchinometra mathaeiReported here · unconfirmed
Striped Large-eye BreamGnathodentex aureolineatusReported here · unconfirmed
Lollyfish Sea CucumberHolothuria atraReported here · unconfirmed
Blue-black UrchinEchinothrix diademaReported here · unconfirmed
Blue LinckiaLinckia laevigataReported here · unconfirmed
Oceanic whitetip sharkOceanic whitetip sharkReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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